Business and Economics Co-opFirst-Year Information Session

CO-OP AT LAURIER

Gain hands-on experience to complement academic studies

Personal attention by co-ordinators both during job search and work terms

Students complete two full years of academic study prior to the first work term

Students receive academic credit for completion of the Co-op Fundamentals preparation course in second year and for each successful work term. Those who meet all co-op requirements graduate with the Co-op Designation on their diploma and transcript.

Co-op Work Term Sequence

Term Fall (Sept-Dec) Winter (Jan-April)

Spring (May-Aug)

Year 1 1A Academic 1B Academic Summer Vacation

Year 2 2A Academic 2B Academic Work Term #1

Year 3 3A Academic Work Term #2 3B Academic

Year 4 Work Term #3 4A Academic 4B Academic

Sequence #1 – option for an 8-month work term

Co-op Work Term Sequence

Term Fall (Sept –Dec)

Winter (Jan–April)

Spring (May-Aug)

Year 1 1A Academic 1B Academic Summer Vacation

Year 2 2A Academic 2B Academic 3A Academic

Year 3 Work Term #1 3B Academic Work Term #2

Year 4 4A Academic Work Term #3 4B Academic

Sequence #2

Co-op Work Term Sequence

Term Fall (Sept –Dec)

Winter (Jan–April)

Spring (May-Aug)

Year 1 1A Academic 1B Academic Summer Vacation

Year 2 2A Academic 2B Academic 3A Academic

Year 3 Work Term #1 Work Term #2 3B Academic

Year 4 4A Academic Work Term #3 4B Academic

Variation of Sequence #2

Option for an 8-month work termThis sequence is suitable for students looking to work for a CA firm

Job Search Process

Job descriptions posted through Co-op online system

Students apply to positions that interest them

Employers review resumes

Employers decide who they would like to interview

During on campus recruiting, job offers are managed through the rank/match process

Students are also expected to conduct a personal job search to complement the job posting process

Benefits Investigate and define career choices

Apply theory from class in a “real world” environment

Assess and develop work related skills

Acquire job search skills

Develop industry contacts

Obtain one full year of work experience

Help finance your education

Weekly Salary Survey

Industry/ Commerce Government Financial

InstitutionsChartered

Accounting Capital Markets

Highest Salary $1153 $1083 $866 $865 $1013

LowestSalary $422 $507 $525 $525 $650

Average Salary $664 $642 $707 $749 $785

Realities Financial commitment

Economy

No guarantee of employment (employment process may be lengthy, particularly for May work term)

Relocation is often required during work terms

Limited business/non-business electives available during spring academic terms

Extracurricular activities and vacation time are restricted

Graduate later

On work term during grad recruitment

Increased workload

Co-op Activities◦ October

Information session Resume module Cover Letter module MyLearningSpace materials

◦ November Job search module Resumes due CPA interview skills CPA mock interviews CPA job postings

◦ December/January CPA interviews Interview skills module Mock interviews

• December/January Job Search module Non-CPA job postings Rank/match sessions Non-CPA interviews

• February Non-CPA interviews Continuous employment

period postings• March Work term preparation

workshop Job postings and

interviews continue• April/May/June Personal job search Job postings and

interviews continue

Functional Areas May to August

24%

22%

14%

13%

9%

7%

4%

3%2%

1% 1% Marketing/ Sales

Management Accounting

Chartered Accounting (CPA)

Finance- Securities/InvestmentsInfo Tech/ Programming/ WebDevelopmentLogistis/ Supply Chain

Research/ Economic Policy/PlanningInsurance

Human Resources

Administration/ Operations

Public Relations/Communications/ Advertising

Employment Locations

GTA73%

KW 18%

SW Ontario 6%

Other Ontario 2% International & Out of Province 1 %

Sample Job Titles

Trading Assistant – Scotiabank Junior Staff Accountant – PWC Canada Financial Analyst – Toyota Canada Assistant Marketing Manager– PepsiCo Beverages Canada Analyst – RBC Capital Markets Sales & Marketing Coordinator – Samsung Canada Digital Marketing Specialist – Christie Digital Product Specialist - Desire2Learn Risk Management/Insurance Broker Trainee, AON Corporation Software Support Specialist – Blackberry Vidyard – Business Development Intern

Application Process On-line application available in March

Application Deadline – September 10, 2018

Step 1 - Overall first-year GPA cutoff established in July (last year was 8.7; expect it to be higher this year)

Step 2 - Individual interviews Late August – September

Step 3 - Co-ordinators meet to select successful applicants

Decisions posted by e-mail on September 28th

No waiting list

One entry point; may not apply again later

Marks for ApplicantsAverage GPA of group admitted is typically much higher than GPA cut-off to receive an interview

We will not consider other courses you complete after winter term unless:o they are required for progression to second yearo you completed fewer than the equivalent of 5 full credits

Students who have to repeat courses or take additional courses to achieve minimum GPA may be evaluated lower than those who meet GPA by April

Students who take 5 courses in winter may be evaluated higher than those who take 4 courses

The Interview 15-minute formal interview conducted by two co-op co-ordinators

Read introductory statement beforehand

We assess:oWork experience from beginning of grade 11 to end of summer before second year

oVolunteer service and extracurricular activities from grade 11 to end of Orientation week before second year

oMarks oInterview performance

We give equal weight to each category

We consider the paid work you performed during the last three years. (For most students, this will be from the beginning of grade 11 to the end of Orientation Week in second year.)

We want to hear about your duties and assignments in each position. (We value jobs in offices or professional environments, and positions with authority or responsibility.)

We consider the time commitment; be prepared to tell us how many hours you worked each week for each job and what months and years you worked. (When comparing candidates, we will give higher standing to students who have worked full-time for the past three summers than to those who have worked less consistently.)

Work Experience

We will consider your volunteer service and extracurricular activities in the last three years. (For most students, this will be from the beginning of grade 11 to the end of Orientation Week in second year.)

We want to hear about your duties and assignments in each position. (We value leadership roles over general membership and varsity sports over intramurals.)

Volunteer Service and Extracurricular Activities

We will consider the quality of all your answers when evaluating your interview performance.

Your ability to communicate your skills and accomplishments is a key component of the interview.

We consider your ability to be concise and stay within the 15 minutes allotted when assessing your interview performance.

When telling us how you have developed certain skills, we encourage you to use examples from experiences other than the New Venture project. (It is challenging to stand out when referring to a project required for all BBA students.)

At the end of the interview we will ask you to tell us anything you wish to add in support of your application. Be sure to tell us about any accomplishments or experience you have not had an opportunity to mention earlier.

Interview Performance

THE INTERVIEWWe assess what candidates communicate in the interview, not items listed on the resume.

We don’t consider activities you’re going to do (only what you’ve done up until the end of O-week.)

You will be asked about your work term sequence preferences. Students are assigned a sequence. (We try but can’t guarantee student preference.)

Most students choose Laurier in part because of co-op; we are not able to consider this as reason to admit students.

No references; we are unable to accept any references as part of the application process.

THE INTERVIEW

Student’s responsibility to present their background and skills within the timeframe of 15 minutes

Opportunity at end of interview to provide information not discussed in response to interview questions

STAR system used to evaluate responses

Learn how to be successful in an interview; research and attend a workshop through the Career Development Centre

STARSITUATION – provide a good framework, why it was a challenging situation

TASK – the problem / task at hand that needs to be solved

ACTION – the steps YOU took in detail

RESULT! – the end result; was it successful?

Make sure you answer has a beginning, a middle and an end

The STAR Method

STATISTICS

Competitive selection process

Enrolment in co-op is limitedolast year we received applications from 759 students

owe typically extend offers to 380 students

QUESTIONS?

Rather than seeking information from other sources, get accurate and up-to-date information from the Co-op Office at ext. 4484 or visit our website at www.wlu.ca/co-op

For those who have inquiries regarding potential needs for accommodation or have

concerns regarding their ability to participate in Co-op, career services as specialist

who is here to help.

KORRIE BELANGER, MSWCareer ConsultantCareer Development Centrekbelanger@wlu.ca 519.884.0710 x3884

Additional Support